his superior, the chief of Hihifo. Filimóëátoo was now on his return to the island of Tonga, with a commission from Finow to treat with the chief of Ilihifo respecting a particular bird of the species called kalai (trained for sport). This latter chief, although belonging to the island of Tonga, was never professedly Finow's enemy, otherwise than as Finow had been associated with the late Toobo Neuha, whom the chief of Hihifo mortally hated; but as Toobo Neuha was now dead, and consequently all cause of enmity removed, Finow was in hopes he should be able to prevail upon the chief of Hihifo to make him a present of one of the first and best trained birds, of the kind in question, that ever was known, and which this chief had trained up with great care, and had long had in his possession, though it was the envy of every chief that had seen it. This particular bird Finow was ardently desirous of, to practise the sport called fanna kalai, of which we shall give a description. The sportsman, armed with a bow and arrows, conceals himself within a large cage, made of a sort of wicker-work, covered over with green leaves, but not so much but what he may see his game: on the top of this cage is the cock bird tied by the leg, who makes a noise, and flaps his wings, as if calling other birds to come and fight him: within is a smaller cage, in which there is the hen bird, who also makes a peculiar noise, as if in answer to the one on the outside; but be this as it may, both cock birds and hens are attracted towards the spot, and are shot by the sportsman. This sport is practised by none but the king and very great chiefs, for training and keeping these birds require exceeding great care as well as great expense. One man is appointed to each pair of birds, and he has nothing else to do but to attend to the management of them; and, if this is not done with great skill, they will not make the noise necessary to attract others. So much attention, in short, is paid to these birds, that their keepers are authorised to go and demand plantains for them, of whomsoever it may be, and howsoever scarce may be this article of food, even if there were a famine, and the people almost starving: if a keeper, even on such occasions, sees a fine bunch of plantains, he will go and taboo it, which he does by sticking a reed in the tree, and telling the proprietor that those plantains are tabooed for the use of the birds. These keepers live well, and are, in general, very insolent fellows, sometimes committing very great depredations, under frivolous pretensions of procuring food for their birds. The sufferer sometimes makes a complaint to the king, or whatever chief the keeper belongs to; and if the chief thinks the offence really outrageous, he orders the man a severe beating, which is usually done by inflicting heavy slaps with the open hand upon his bare back, or striking him about the head and face with the fist. Filimóëátoo soon departed from Foa, on his way to Hihifo, and arrived at this place without any accident. He was not, however, so successful in the object of his journey as he expected to be; for the chief of Hihifo was by no means willing to part with a bird, which, he said, had cost great hazard to himself, and the loss of many lives, to preserve; for he had sustained wars with so many other chiefs, who had quarrelled with him on account of his refusing to give it them, that he felt, he said, more than ever resolved to keep it: but, however, as Finow had so strong a desire for an excellent and well trained bird of that kind, he would make him a present of a pair, which, although not quite so good as the one in question, yet would be found exceedingly valuable. Before parting, however, he qualified his refusal of the rare bird by saying, that if he ever did give it away, it must be after very mature deliberation, for it had already cost him a vast deal, and was certainly the best bird that had ever been trained. He was heartily glad to hear of the death of Toobo Neuha, and declared that no personal enmity existed on his part towards Finow; but, on the contrary, felt so great an attachment for him, that he would most willingly return with Filimóëátoo to Vavaoo to pay a visit to Finow, but that his matabooles would not allow him. Filimóëátoo having remained a day and a night with this chief, returned with the two birds to Finow, and gave him an account of his interview with the chief of Hihifo. Finow received the present, but was by no means well pleased with the refusal of the bird, on which he had so much set his heart. The following morning, however, he went out to try his success with these two, and which so far exceeded his expectations, that he wanted more than ever to have the excellent bird, and he immediately set about to obtain it by rich presents. He accordingly got ready sea-horses' teeth, beads, axes, a looking-glass, several iron bolts, and a grinding stone, all of which he had procured from European ships, and chiefly from the Port au Prince. Besides these things, he ordered to be got ready several bales of Va> vaoo gnatoo, fine Hamoa mats, and a large quantity of cava; the whole of which he gave in charge to Filimóëátoo to take immediately to Hihifo, and present them to the chief, except some of the cava, which he was to distribute among the lower chiefs and matabooles, to engage them more readily in his interest. Finow himself accompanied Filimóëátoo as far as Haano, (one of the Hapai islands,) and took many of his principal chiefs along with him, with a view of lessening the consumption of food at Vavaoo. On this expedition there were five canoes, all of which arrived safe at Haano; and from this island Filimóëátoo proceeded in one canoe with thirty men to Hihifo, where he also arrived safe, and distributed his presents. The chief of Hihifo, on this second urgent application from Finow, after some consideration, answered, that as he could not make any use of the bird himself, his time being so much taken up in constant warfare with his neighbours, and as it would not be consistent with the character of a chief* to retain from another that which he could not use himself, he would, * The chiefs, among themselves, use this sort of expression, as in civilized countries one would say, it is not acting like a gentleman. |